A new method for the assessment of the filterability in membrane bioreactors was tested for five months in four MBR units in Berlin. The new method BFM (Berlin Filtration Method) for filterability assessment uses a small membrane filtration test cell which can be submerged directly in the biological tanks to determine the filterability of the activated sludge in-situ. The test cell contains an aerated flat-sheet membrane which operates at similar conditions as in the plant. Filterability is expressed in terms of critical flux obtained by performing flux-stepping experiments. The ultimate goal of monitoring the filterability with the device is to detect in real time fouling occurrences due to changes in sludge composition and to adapt accordingly the operating conditions. The usefulness of the device for this purpose was evaluated for five months after monitoring four MBR plants in Berlin with different activated sludge characteristics (MLSS from 5 to 21 g/L, SRT 12–35d and COD in the supernatant 30–400 mg/L). The first results show a good agreement between the filterability of the sludge with the portable filtration test cell and the filtration performance of the plant. Critical flux values varied between 3 and 30L/m2 h during the studied period. Useful information concerning the irreversibility of the fouling was provided by looking at the hysteresis curve of the flux-stepping experiments.

Numerous papers have been published studying the causes of fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and searching for a universal fouling indicator. Unfortunately, as these studies were performed using various set-ups and operating conditions (different membranes, sludge retention time (SRT), hydraulic conditions and diverse feed wastewaters, etc.), the results in terms of fouling rates and the infl uence of individual parameters rarely match up. In order to obtain a signifi cant database of comparable results from different plants, an intensive monitoring campaign of four MBR systems started in 2007 in Berlin. In these units, 14 parameters were monitored on a weekly basis over 10 months to characterise the mixed liquor and the corresponding permeability, including the novel parameter transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), which represent a specially sticky fraction of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). By performing statistical analyses it was demonstrated that there is no unique fouling indicator, and origins of fouling must be searched in the combination of several parameters using multivariable analysis. Applying a multiple regression the critical fl ux values could be correlated with four parameters (temperature, nitrate, bound and soluble TEP) measured in the activated sludge for 95% of the data.

Due to their compact design and their high quality and reliable treatment, package or containerised membrane bioreactor (MBR) units are used for decentralised and semi-decentralised wastewater treatment plants. The operational availability, performance and economical viability of these MBR systems depend on the fi ltration performance of the membrane modules. Current chemical cleaning strategies of MBR modules, based on regular (weekly) maintenance cleanings and/or occasional (quarterly to biannual) intensive cleanings proved not to be adapted to semi-central MBR applications (100 up to 1000 p.e.): regular maintenance cleanings require automation and lead to too much care and personnel requirement. Occasional intensive cleanings increase the operational risk of membrane fouling and low cleaning recovery. In addition, semi-central MBR applications are often designed with at least two redundant fi ltration lines. An alternative chemical cleaning strategy was therefore proposed, implemented and assessed in a containerised MBR unit serving a population of about 250 p.e.: at a given time, only one fi ltration line is in operation while the other one soaks in a low-grade chemical solution. The modules are switched alternately on a monthly basis. To identify a cleaning strategy and an agent showing a good recovery, one of the modules was cleaned with H2O2, while the other was cleaned with NaOCl. A cleaning step with citric acid is added when necessary. These cleanings were tested over 16 months with the goal to minimise maintenance effort and chemicals used.

Two membrane bioreactor (MBR) plants were operated with a process which combines enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) and post-denitrification without external carbon dosing in the anoxic zone. An enhanced post-denitrification with denitrification rates (DNR) twice as high as the expected endogenous rate was observed. Batch tests revealed a linear correlation between the anaerobic acetate loading and the postDNR which is remarkable since the aerobic phase was located in-between the anaerobic and anoxic phase. An anaerobic build up of a carbon storage compound which can outlast the aerobic phase is postulated. Measurements showed that neither polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) nor glycogen are used as carbon source for the enhanced post-denitrification. A carbon mass balance in the anaerobic phase strongly indicates the formation of a different so far unknown storage compound. This assumption is supported by literature data which show carbon recovery ratios of known storage compounds (PHAs and glycogen) in the anaerobic phase of EBPR systems often below 1 down to 0.3, in particular for trials performed with real wastewater. The potential of enhanced post-denitrification in conventional UCT systems is also demonstrated in full-scale non-MBR wastewater plants. When implemented in MBR process, enhanced nutrients elimination could be biologically achieved with 99% TP-removal and 90% TN-removal. A small full-scale unit is in operation in Berlin since March 2006 to demonstrate the process in real operation conditions with domestic wastewater.

Two membrane bioreactors were operated with biological phosphorus removal, carbon degradation and denitrification to check how comparable and representative they were compared to full-scale plants. One was fed with synthetic municipal wastewater and was switched from pre- to post-denitrification without carbon dosing. The influent of the second plant was drawn from a separate sewer. This plant worked the whole time with post-denitrification without carbon dosing. The synthetic wastewater was designed to achieve a realistic COD:TN:TP ratio and tested for long time biodegradability. The eliminations were >94% (COD) and >97% (TP) for both plants. This was within the range of commercial plants, as well as the TN elimination for the pre-denitrification of plant I (>75%). The eliminations of TN for post-denitrification were above 80% for both plants despite the high influent concentrations and the missing carbon source for post-DN. A calculation of the nitrification rates gave values similar to those found in literature (1–6 mgN/(gMLVSS h)). A comparison of the denitrification showed expected rates for pre-denitrification (7.5 mgN/(gMLVSS h)) for plant I. The values (on average 1.8 mgN/(gMLVSS h)) for post-denitrification in plant II were higher than endogenous denitrification rates which are commonly reported as 0.2–0.8 mgN/(gMLVSS h). The rates for post-denitrification in plant I were only slightly higher than endogenous ones (0.9 mgN/(gMLVSS h)).

The widespread application of the membrane-assisted activated sludge process is restricted by membrane fouling, which increases investment and operating costs. Soluble microbial products (SMPs) are currently considered as the major cause of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). This study aims at elucidating and quantifying the effects of varying environmental conditions on SMP elimination and rejection based on findings in a pilot MBR and in well-defined lab trials. Several factors are thought to influence the concentration ofSMP and their fouling propensity in one way or the other, but findings are often inconsistent or even contradictory. Here, SMP loading rate was found to have the greatest effect on SMP elimination and thus on concentration in the MBR. The degree of elimination decreased at very lowDO and low nitrate concentrations. On average, 75% of influent SMP were eliminated in both pilot and lab trials, with the elimination of polysaccharides (PS) mostly above 80%. Rejection of SMP components by the used membrane (PAN, 37nm) ranged mainly from 20% to 70% for proteins and from 75% to 100% for PS. Especially protein rejection decreased at higher temperatures and higher nitrification activity. The increased fouling rates at lower temperatures might therefore partly be explained by this increased rejection. Apparently, mainly the nitrite-oxidising community is responsible for the formation for smaller SMP molecules that can pass the membrane.

Fouling still is one of the major issues of membrane bioreactor (MBR) research. Most attention is currently paid to extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in either bound or soluble/colloidal (soluble microbial products, SMP) form. While several trends or correlations were reported, the comparability of results is still limited by the numerous differences in plant set-up and analytical methods. The aim of this study is to compare polysaccharide concentrations and their respective fouling potential in different MBR operated under different conditions using the same analytical and evaluation tools and considering all relevant differences. Results are also compared to literature findings in an attempt to come to more generally valid conclusions. Results indicate that SMP influence fouling only under certain conditions such as low sludge age and large pore size.